Saturday, December 11, 2010

Christmas Legends - And A Christmas Rose Craft

Santa Who? by Gail Gibbons is not a book you want to read to a child who still believes in Santa Claus. If however, they know the truth, it's a very nice book for explaining the origins, and rise of the Santa legend. I thought at first it might be too wordy for my younger children, but even C (age 4), sat happily, while I read through it, and it certainly could be read in pieces, as each page takes on a different step in Santa's journey.

Gibbons also describes the other Santa like gift givers, such as La Befana, Christkindl, and Father Christmas, from around the world. The only page that caused me pause, was the one dealing with the wise men, the original Christmas gift givers. It has them arriving in Bethlehem, at the stable, and shows Christ as a baby, still in the manger.

Tomie DePaola's The Story of the Three Wise Kings, has the wise men journeying to Bethlehem, as well, after a short stop in Jerusalem, and it does mention a babe, but the Christ pictured in the illustrations appears to be a toddler, so I liked that better. I liked the overall story, too. DePaola sticks very close to the scriptural, and historical (for their names, and places of origin) account. It actually reminds me a lot of our favorite Christmas animated movie...

...I could almost hear Andy Griffith reading the text. Oh, and the text is short, and flows nicely, and the illustrations are very captivating, making it an excellent story for younger children to enjoy.

The Legend of the Christmas Rose by William H. Hooks, also deals with the Nativity, but from the shepherds' point of view. Or rather, the point of view of the shepherds younger sister, who follows her older brothers to Bethlehem, to see the Baby, but then realizes she has nothing to give Him.

An angel pays her a visit, and when he leaves, she finds herself in the middle of a patch of beautiful, blooming, flowers - Christmas roses, perfect to take to the new King.

Hooks story is pure legend, and while including an angel in it made me uncomfortable, I appreciated the Author's Note, at the back of the book, giving the scientific name, Helleborus niger, for the winter blooming flower, and explaining some of the myths, legends, and truths about it.

Joyful Learner - I think we get the number of wisemen from historical legend, the Bible just says wise men from the east. But, in Matthew's account, they come to the "house" where the "child" was, and when they leave, without returning to Herod, he has all the boys ages 2 and under killed - so it's generally assumed Jesus was a toddler by the time the wise men found him.

It's an interesting explanation of The Three Wise Men story. I always thought that they came shortly after the birth of Jesus. It just shows how many things of the past turn into legends and get distorted as time goes on.

I go back and forth on him being a toddler. He probably was, but there's something magical about scenes like you see in "The Nativity Story" where they all converge there as if God orchestrated this great meeting up. It may not be strictly speaking Biblical, but since the age isn't specifically mentioned I'll give it a little leeway if done in the right spirit.

My understanding is the number is based on the number of gifts given, because it never specifically says 3 wise men.

I'll have to see if I can find those books, and probably preview the first one to see how my kids would do.

I love the flower craft. Thanks for including information on the historical accuracy of the Nativity stories. We celebrate the arrival of the wise men separate from the Nativity since Jesus was close to 2 when they arrived, and it's frustrating to see so many incorrect scenes in children's books.

About Me

I'm a homeschool mom of six. My family has been homeschooling for about seventeen years. And, each year, we've learned a little more about having fun, and spending less, while learning more. It's great to be a homeschooler!

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